A New Chapter
by Shazam00
Summary: Eventually she moved on with her life, and started a new chapter in her life. She held it together for fifteen years, appearing to be content with the way things were. Everything was fine, until the familiar looking stranger with curly brown hair and chocolate doe eyes showed up at the town line, shouting that he wanted to see the queen.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE: Never fear, I have no plans to abandon my other stories, just a severe case of writers block, an extremely busy schedule, and a jacked up internet connection.**

She had moved on. It was well past time to. She had clung to the very little hope she had left, and she had searched for the author of the book, poured herself into the mission, gave it everything she had, and she had very nearly lost herself in the process. But she had to keep it together, if not for herself, then for Henry. So she moved on. The author of the book was most likely dead, or at least never to be seen again. She made a life for herself. She took over the position of mayor from a very grateful Snow White, and when the situation arose, she took down villains threatening her town before they even had a chance to realize that they threatened the town in the first place. She was content with her life.

Essentially, the town was just like any other town. If they wanted something big to be done, they ran it by the mayor, who only shot the idea down if it was extremely stupid (which does happen occasionally with the Charmings). When Belle wanted to renovate the library, she okayed it, even provided funding. When the pirate wanted to start a charter boat service, she agreed to let him, if he passed all the safety inspections. When Aurora wanted to open a day care center, she let her, and she also helped with the building permits, and oversaw construction on the project. But when the Charmings and Belle found a way to get rid of the curse on the town line, she put her foot down. It would not happen, she would not open herself—the town, she would not open the town up to the dangers of the outside world. Besides, Rumplestitleskin was out there, probably lurking in wait, with a few nasty tricks up his sleeve. No, it definitely couldn't happen.

Years passed. There were a whole bunch of weddings. Emma and Hook were first, the announcement of their first child soon following their nuptials. Henry was thrilled, he'd always wanted a little sibling. She had hoped he would find one in Rola—no, she wouldn't, couldn't think about that. Soon after the savior and the pirate came Ruby and Whale, then Ella and Thomas, and the wedding being planned right now was her very own son's. He had finally worked up the courage to ask out the hatter's daughter, say, five years ago, and with her, he had found his happy ending. With all the residents of town finding their true loves, magic was becoming much more common as they started to have "products of true love" so to speak.

Her very own product of true love turned fifteen about a month ago.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHORS NOTE: Fair warning, characters in this story will be both openly gay, and in the closet. If you don't like it, please don't read, and please don't leave any hate. Thanks!**

_After Robin Left_

"_Mom I'm really worried about her. It's been weeks! She locks herself in her room all day, and only comes out in the mornings, to puke. I don't know where she's getting her food and water, or even if she's getting it at all! We have to do something!" Henry pleaded with Emma._

"_Henry she's a grown woman," Emma started, before Henry cut her off._

"_Mom!" he exclaimed_

"_All right, all right! I'll check up on her for you okay?" Emma asked._

"_You're the best," he said, pulling her in for a hug. When he let her go, she was gone in a puff of white smoke. _

"_Regina!" Emma called, landing in the Mayor's mansion, just inside the main entrance. The lower level of the house looked normal, as did most of the upper level, but when she neared Regina's room, the more destroyed things looked. Shards of broken glass were everywhere, the washing machine was laying on its side, and the ceiling fan was barely hanging on the ceiling, sparks emitting from the broken circuitry. _

_With a wave of her hand, Emma had the mess cleaned up. She reached the door to the bedroom, which was hanging off of its hinges. With a quick flick of the wrist, that was fixed too. The door wasn't closed, so she took a deep breath, and walked in._

"_Regina?" she said softly, peering into the darkness that filled the room, despite the sunny day outside._

"_Regina?" she asked again. She was answered by a low moan, coming from the general direction of the bed. "Regina!" Emma called, rushing to her side. The queen groaned in protest as Emma rolled her onto her back, so she could get a good look at her. Her makeup was smeared, and her clothes appeared to be the same ones she was wearing the day Robin left town with his wife and his son. In short, she looked terrible._

"_Emma?" the woman asked groggily._

"_Yeah Regina it's me," Emma replied with a small smile on her face. "You okay?" The peaceful look on Regina' s face soon turned into the one Emma was more accustomed to._

"_Swan," she snarled menacingly, springing up, and away from the woman._

"_That's more like it," Emma sighed._

"_What the hell do you want?" Regina spat, managing to look every bit the all powerful, magical queen she was, even in her state. _

"_Henry's worried. He sent me to check on you," Emma explained._

"_Well he shouldn't worry I'm fine," Regina growled in reply._

"_Well then get you sorry ass out of bed, and go see our son!" Emma ordered. "This place is a mess, and when is the last time you took out the…" she trailed off, briskly walking to the overflowing trashcan, and plucking a box off of the top of the pile. She turned inquisitively towards Regina. "Trash?" she asked, revealing the torn open pregnancy test box she was holding._

_Regina sat down on the edge of her bed, and put her head in her hands._

_Present Day_

"Hey Mom," a deep voice called from the foyer.

"Henry!" she exclaimed, walking towards the front door to greet the man, and the teenager standing next to him. "And Neal! What a surprise! Do you boys want anything?" she asked pleasantly, ushering the boys into the house.

"Uh," Henry shared a look with his uncle. "Hot cocoa with cinnamon!" They chorused. She chuckled a little bit, setting the already prepared mugs in front of the boys. Even though he was a Charming, she had taken a liking to Neal over the years. The fifteen year old was tall and lean. Where other boys his age were all gangly limbs and acne, he was toned muscle, and a decent amount of blondish-brownish facial hair to match the mop on his head. He had his mother's eyes, and his father's smile.

"Thanks Regina," he said, grasping his mug with both hands, and taking a few long gulps, draining the cup.

"So boys, how's the wedding planning go—" she started to say, before the front door burst open.

"Regina!" Emma and Hook's fifteen year old daughter burst in, her dark locks tousled, her tan skin flushed from running to the mansion from the town line, and her green eyes wide.

"There's—" she panted, trying in vain to catch her breath. "There's a—a man at the town line. And he's—he's uh—oh bloody hell that was a long run. He's just pacing the line back and forth like he uh—uh knows it's there. And he's shouting that he wants to see the queen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Trigger Warning for panic attacks and depression.**

` "_…he wants to see the queen."_

Those few words packed enough of a punch to send her mind reeling. She clutched at the counter top, and swayed. She must've looked as sick as she felt, because two concerned boys were at her side in moments. She sat down in the closest chair she could find.

"Neal stay here with my mom. Elizabeth, we're going to the town line," Henry ordered, taking charge of the situation immediately. He was every bit the pirate prince he was raised to be, and his little sister, despite wanting to argue, understood the gravity of the situation, and grabbed her brother's hand. She transported them back to the town line. Regina stayed in the chair, trying to keep calm. She took deep breaths, and closed her eyes, but nothing seemed to be working. A strong hand grasped hers.

"Regina," Neal whispered, loud enough to get her attention. "You're having a panic attack." His revelation only made her heart beat faster. Her head hurt, and her stomach flopped.

"Regina I'm going to calm you down okay?" he asked gently. She nodded. It was one thing Neal could do that Emma never really perfected. They called it mood magic. The boy took a deep breath, and a pleasant warmth rolled over Regina's body. Another wave hit her, and then another. Her breathing slowed and her headache eased, though it didn't subside all together.

"Thanks," she uttered. The boy nodded. A puff of smoke erupted in the living room. Elizabeth and Henry stumbled out of it, one of them coughing, the other one smirking.

"God I hate traveling by magic," Henry mumbled to himself.

"Henry tell her!" Elizabeth urged him. Henry looked at his mother warily. She recognized the look. She had seen it fifteen years ago when she announced her pregnancy. She had seen it the day Robin left. It was the look he got when he wanted to protect her. And by God, she wasn't having it, not today. She stood up, ignoring her spinning vision.

"Let's go," she growled. And so they did.

**At the Town Line**

Emma's senses alerted her to the arrival of her daughter, her brother, her son, and Regina. She turned, and briskly walked towards them, a frown on her face.

"I told you two she shouldn't be here," she growled.

"Mom I tried," Henry started.

"The hell you did Henry," she spat, her anger and frustration at the situation evident by her tone of voice, and the look on her face.

"Swan, it was not his choice whether I become involved in this situation or not, nor is it yours. I'm here, now show me this mystery man," Regina ordered, the epitome of a cool and collected queen, not someone who was scared out of her mind at what was to come. Emma sighed, as her husband walked up.

"I'm afraid it's not much of a mystery, lass," he said dully. The couple lead her through the small bunch of people, which parted for them anyway.

"I know you're there! I want to see the queen!" the man shouted. He had curly, dark hair, and beautiful brown doe eyes and he wasn't tall, but he wasn't exactly short either. His jaw was chiseled, his shoulders broad, and his muscles evident. He wore brown leather work boots, blue jeans, a plaid shirt, and a dark brown leather jacket.

"Well now I understand why you knew he was asking for me and not Snow," she mused, her eyes trailing over the boy, who had aged fifteen years since she last saw him. Even so, his identity was unmistakable.

"Belle, you brought the book I assume?" she asked over her shoulder, the question directed at the small band of people clustered behind her.

"The items to perform the spell too," the librarian called, rushing to her side.

"How much juice is it gonna take to get one person across?" Regina inquired, her eyes never leaving the boy—no the man, the man on the other side of the line.

"You and Emma should do just fine," Belle replied.

"Okay leave everything here please," Regina asked politely. Belle did, and quickly scurried back into the crowd, which had shrunk away from her. It was bad if she was being polite, everybody knew it.

"Everybody leave but Henry, Emma, and Elizabeth," Regina ordered. The crowd took a few steps back, but one woman surged forward.

"Regina we can help—" Snow started.

"I SAID GO!" Regina's voice boomed into the forest, and even the man outside the barrier looked astonished. The people rushed away, David and Neal pulling a rather distressed looking Snow behind them. The man on the other side started shouting again.

"I won't leave until I see her!" he screamed. Regina picked up the book Belle had left behind, and leafed through it, until she found the right page. Henry, Emma, and Elizabeth were silent as she lifted her finger, and traced letters onto the force field that separated her from someone she had had nightmares about seeing again.

_"Why?"_ the message read. The man gaped at the three letters in astonishment.

"I—I need to see her," he repeated. Regina patiently tapped the barrier, and the message flared bright on the other side.

"It's important, please," the man pleaded. Regina sighed, and stepped back, flipping to the next page in the book. As she read, and mixed ingredients, she gave instructions to her companions.

"Elizabeth, I want you to poof back to the diner and keep Daniel there for as long as possible okay? He doesn't need to know what's going on. As a matter of fact, he can't know. See to it," she ordered. The teenager eyed her mother warily, and when Emma nodded, she was gone, a puff of blue smoke, and a faint smell of the ocean, the only indicators that she was there in the first place.

"Are you going through?" Emma asked. Regina shook her head.

"No. I was hoping Henry would," Before Emma could object, Henry stepped between his mothers.

"I can come back right?" he wanted to clarify. Regina smiled, but it came nowhere close to reaching her eyes.

"Of course. You do have a wedding to go to after all."

It only took a quarter of an hour to fully prepare the spell. Henry stepped up to the barrier, but faced his moms. Regina and Emma waved their hands, and their son was encased in white light.

"There, that means you should be able to cross over and back," Regina stated matter of factly, dropping her hands to her sides.

"But how are you gonna hear what we're talking about? It's not like we can yell the whole conversation," Henry asked. Regina cursed under her breath, but Swan came to the rescue.

"Here ya go kid. Your dad left his walkie talkie," she said, handing the gadget to Henry.

"All right, I guess I'm all set then," he stated. His mothers nodded. "Here goes nothing," he breathed. He stepped through the barrier.


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry for the wait guys! This chapter should clear up most, if not all the confusion character wise. If it doesn't, please let me know, and maybe I'll make a character list or something. This and the next chapter (mostly the next chapter) will touch on abandonment issues, so if you are easily triggered, please be careful while reading. **

_At the Diner_

Elizabeth stumbled into Granny's searching frantically for Daniel. She caught sight of his floppy mop of dark curls poking up over the top of their favorite booth. She flopped down across from him with a loud harrumph, and laid her head back on the top of her seat. She took in the sight of him, his curly brown hair, his dark blue eyes, focused on what appeared to be the AP World History homework spread across the table in front of him. She knew his mannerisms inside and out, the way his chiseled jaw clenched when he was frustrated, the way he tended to tap his foot when he was especially nervous, and the way he air drummed to whatever music was playing when he thought nobody was watching. She especially loved the blush that blossomed across his face when he finally realized that she had seen his solo out of the corner of her eye. She knew Daniel Mills better than she knew herself, and she liked it that way. She liked him. But he didn't know it, and he definitely didn't need to know, especially now. Come to think of it, he didn't really need to know, ever.

"Are you actually doing the extra credit?" she asked, watching him closely.

"Yep," He replied.

"All of it?" she pressed.

"Yep," he said again.

"Nerd," she chuckled a little bit, leaning closer to him, placing her hands flat on the table. He didn't respond to her jab, continuing to answer the comprehension questions from the reading that they didn't even have to do. She stayed quiet, letting him work. It was her first mistake. He set the pencil down.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, also leaning back in his seat.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she shot back, crossing her arms. He raised his eyebrow at her.

"The hell you don't," he said plainly.

"Oh such vulgar language. I thought you were a gentleman and a scholar Daniel," she quipped, trying to deflect his attention to anything else.

"Oh cut the crap Liz. Something's wrong. Tell me," he ordered. And damn her, she almost did. But not quite.

"Nothing is wrong," she stated firmly. She whipped a deck of cards out of her pocket, and started shuffling. "Wanna play gin?"

"I know you Liz. You left me alone while I was doing homework, clue number one. You crossed your arms when I broached the subject, clue two, and then you broke out your cards when I pressed you, which was clue number three. Now tell me." He said in a rather regal fashion, something he probably inherited from his mother. There was something in his voice though that was different, especially on the last three words. It was miniscule, unnoticeable to the untrained ear, but she picked up on it right away. She glared at him, real anger dancing in her eyes.

"You promised you wouldn't do that," she growled.

"Do what?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"The charm speak!" her voice rose in volume, which would've alerted other customers, if there had been any. They were all at the rabbit hole, probably gossiping about the man at the border. "We both swore, no using our powers on each other!"

Daniel could see that she was upset. He raced to calm the storm before it started. Being able to contain hurricane Elizabeth was a special skill he alone possessed.

"Lizzie please. I'm sorry," he tried, his eyes pleading. But Elizabeth was having none of his sweet talk.

"Don't call me that," she spat, getting up to leave, because screw Regina and her instructions.

"Elizabeth please I didn't mean it!" he called after her. She turned back to him, and if looks could kill, he would've been dead right then and there.

"Then why'd you do it?" she demanded. He looked at her, really looked at her, and sighed.

"Because I'm tired of secrets, okay? All my life has just been whispers behind closed doors, then more whispers, and then more closed doors. I just, I don't wanna be kept in the dark anymore," he said. Elizabeth's glare softened, and she walked back over to him.

"Can we please play gin first?" she asked quietly. Daniel laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

"Ya, Lizzie we can play gin first," he chuckled.

"I said don't call me that!" she socked him in the arm, but she was laughing too.

_Outside of Town_

"Where's the queen?" the man demanded. Now that Henry was closer, he could see that he was barely more than a boy. He was 18, 19 at the most.

"It's been a while Roland. Do you even remember me?" Henry asked. Roland paused his pacing, and looked at the man in front of him. He had the same hair and the same look in his eyes that he possessed when he was younger. Roland's lips turned up at one corner, in a small smile.

"It's good to see you Henry. Fifteen years is a long time," he said softly. Henry nodded his head, his face serious.

"You're right it is. So why come back now? Why stir up something that settled a long time ago?" he questioned.

"Because I have more questions than I have answers. And I also think I have a serious problem," Roland answered.

"There's no way he can remember Henry, he wasn't even four when they left!" Emma exclaimed. Regina just smiled.

"He's a product of what once was true love Swan. You should know, better than anyone, that they're capable of great feats," she clarified. "Now do shut up, I'm trying to listen."

"Let's start with your serious problem," Henry suggested.

"Henry, don't take this the wrong way, but you're not the person I came here to see," Roland stated matter of factly.

"Well I'm the only person you're going to get to see for the time being, so I suggest you tell me," Henry shot back. On the other side of the force field, both Emma and Regina smirked. Roland wasn't easily shaken though.

"I can see you holding down the button of the walkie talkie. I know that there are people on the other side listening. Regina would've sent everybody away, but I'm willing to wager that since you're here, Emma is on the other side with her. So why don't they let us both into town, and we can sit down, and have a little chat hm?" Roland deadpanned.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note: Warning, this chapter has a flash back that deals with some pretty heavy stuff regarding miscarriages, and abuse. **

"Regina!" Emma shouted her name, startling her out of her own head.

"What?" she snapped, glaring at the blonde woman next to her.

"You have the scroll don't you?" Emma asked sharply. Regina nodded, but made no move to pull the scroll out of her pocket. Emma sighed.

"Why don't you give me the scroll, and go talk to Daniel?" she suggested, her voice soft, understanding. Regina hated it, but she nodded her acquiesce. She turned away.

"Oh hey Regina, can you remind Killian to pick up Liam, Sean, and Meredith?" Emma added.

"Swan I hardly have time to take care of my own child, let alone remind your husband to take care of yours," she was trying for a snarky reply, but they both knew it wasn't quite there.

"Please?" Emma tried. Regina sighed, but nodded her agreement. Emma, with the scroll in hand, walked towards the town line. Regina was gone in a puff of smoke. Emma threw the scroll through the barrier.

_At Granny's Diner_

Regina strutted into the almost empty diner, her eyes immediately falling on the booth her son and Elizabeth shared. She couldn't help the small smirk that crossed her features when Elizabeth laid down the few cards she had in her hand, and Daniel threw his hands up in defeat. Her son was good at everything he did, but one thing he was hopeless at was cards, especially when the Jones girl was involved. She continued towards her son and his friend, steeling herself for the conversation ahead.

_About Fifteen Years Ago_

_ A heavily pregnant Emma Swan stood next to Regina as they both looked into the hospital's nursery. _

_ "He's so small," Regina whispered, awe struck. Emma chuckled. _

_ "Well yeah, he's a newborn baby," she replied. Regina ignored the blonde that she begrudgingly called her friend, choosing instead to gaze at her baby, swaddled in blue and green silk, lying in crib in front of her. _

_ "He's healthy?" Regina asked, not for the first time. Emma nodded._

_ "There's absolutely nothing wrong with him," Emma responded. "You carried him to term, he developed all the things he needs to survive outside the womb. He's perfect." Relief washed over Regina. _

_ "Daniel and I used to talk about having children," she started. Emma looked at her, surprised._

_ "Regina," she started, but Regina kept talking._

_ "But Daniel and I never got the chance. He died, and I married Leopold. All Leopold ever wanted was another child," she could feel her eyes start to sting with tears. "He didn't care that I was a child myself. He didn't care about me, my pleasure, my health, he just wanted a son," she said, her tongue loose from the pain killers and the hormones and the exhaustion of the whole ordeal. _

_ "The first baby lived for seven minutes," she closed her eyes. "I named her Hope. Every other time, I couldn't even carry the baby to term. And the blood, there was always so much blood." Memories of crimson liquid running down her leg, and Hope's little blue face swam across her mind. She forced her eyes open, forced the images away. She looked at Emma, who had tears flowing down her cheeks._

_ "Regina it wasn't your fault," she said. Regina laughed bitterly._

_ "I know it wasn't my fault. But after every miscarriage, every death, Leopold punished me like it was. I'm lucky to be alive. I'm lucky to have fallen in love, not once, but twice. I'm lucky to be blessed with this child," she turned to look at her son again. "This child, he is a miracle, he's my miracle. And he'll never know what it's like to be loved by two parents. He'll never know his father, and he'll never know his brother. He doesn't deserve that."_

_ "Regina, Robin and Roland might not be here physically, but the memory of them is something you'll carry with you forever," Emma said gently. _

_ "You're right. I'll carry it with me forever. But he will not. It's better to be oblivious than to mourn what you could've had," Regina said definitively._

_ "Regina-" Emma started to say._

_ "Daniel. I think I'll name him Daniel." _

"Daniel, Elizabeth," she said, her tone much heavier than she planned to start out with. The teenagers looked up at the obviously frazzled woman in confusion. Elizabeth reacted first. She quickly collected the cards, and shoved them back into their box.

"Well Danny-Boy, that's my cue. Catch you later," she said quickly, and slid out of the booth. They watched as she ran out the door, her long hair flying behind her like raven wings.

"Mom?" Daniel asked hesitantly, startling Regina. She looked at her son, hunched in the corner of the booth. The resemblance between him and Roland was uncanny, there was no way she could keep it a secret. If he didn't put it together, one of his friends would, and they would surely tell him. She could feel the beginning of a splitting headache coming from this sudden onset of stress.

"Are you going to sit?" Daniel said gently, gesturing to the seat across the table from himself. Regina nodded, and collapsed into the cushioned chair. Daniel looked at her, his concern written all over his face. Like Henry, he'd never really been one to hide his emotions.

"Mom what's wrong?" he queried. "What is everybody so freaked out about?"

"It's—It's your—" she started to say, pausing to take a deep breath.

"My what?" he pushed.

"Daniel it's about your father," she said quickly. His eye's widened.

"My father?" he repeated. She nodded.

"And your brother."


End file.
